Elected mayor system will stay in Torbay until at least 2019

There is much talk in the local paper, the Herald Express, about the position of elected mayor. We had a referendum 5 years ago to decide if we here in Torbay want an elected mayor. I suspect that those who voted for the setting up of such a position did so because they thought it would be better than letting the then, and still is, ineffectual council run the place. I know I did. If the first elected mayor, Nick Bye, is anything to go by we were wrong, Nick has managed to upset lots and lots of people without seeming to please very many. Being a politicion is a balancing act and Nick hasn't been very good at it. He has been deselected by his party and is planning to stand again in May as an independent. Good luck to him.

Now as far as I can tell from reading the Herald Express and the comments there in that those against having an elected mayor don't seem to like the present elected mayor very much. So we now have a not very good elected mayor so lets hope the next one is better, because we have to have at least two more elections, one in May and one in May 2015. Then we can have an other referendum to decide if we want to keep the position. It's up to us voters to pick the right person in May and then decide in 4 and a bit years if we want to get rid of the position of elected mayor.

I think it's too soon to decide, the next holder of the post might be wonderful, who knows we might even what to hang on to an elected mayor.